Chinese Wood Rustic Bench

Plain plank bench with squared legs braced in a neat trapezoid.

This rustic bench is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is elm wood. Tibetans were traditionally semi-nomadic and owned few personal furnishings, so most Tibetan furniture stood in monasteries, and some of it was carted over the Himalayas to India as monasteries were destroyed. Narrow bench in warm brown wood with a thick top overhanging the frame. Square legs are slightly splayed and braced by short side stretchers with small brackets. Surface shows light wear and a soft sheen. It is 51 inches long, 8 deep and 18.5 high.

Honest work, nicely finished, and happy to be sat on.